Railway-rail joint



March 23 1926. 1,578,166 I G. w. MULLER RAILWAY RAIL- JOINT Filed Nov. 2 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- v Marcl 123,1926.' 1,578,166

G. W. MULLER RAILWAY RAIL JOINT Filed Nov. 21, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar; 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAILWAY-RAIL JOINT.

To all whom it concern Be it known that I, .GEORGE-i w. MULLER, a

' citizen of the United States, residing at I substantially Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Rail J oints, of-which the following is,a specification.

This invention relates to railway rail sup, ports, and has for one of its objects to increase the strength of joint or the coupling means between the ends of the rails, to effectually resist thetendency to the deflection of the rails at the point of juncture under the severe pounding of the rolling stock.

The improved device may be adapted to rails of various sizes terial structural change in the rails, or reducing the strength.

The ordinary railway rails are usually united end to end by clamping devices which lap over the confronting portions of the rails at opposite sides and bear beneath the ball or tread and against the opposite sides of the vweb at some distance from the ends of the rails. L

The clamp devices thus constructed bear the entire length against the under face of the ball and upon the upper face of the tie flange.

Experiment and observation have shown that when trains pass over the rails the pounding of the wheels of the train, especially the very heavylocomotives now in use, has a tendency to deflect the confronting ends of the rails, and v cured by clamp plates of the ordinary construction in contact their whole lengths against both the ball and the tie flanges, and rigidly connected to the webs of the rail by a plurality of relatively heavy clamp bolts, the outer portions of the clamp plates are correspondingly humped up or elevated, and

while this depression and elevation may not be evident to the eye of an observer,- it is sufiicient to cause a very perceptible unevenness ofmotion to the train.

The clamp plates as ordinarily constructed are of uniform thickness and width throughout, and when depressed or .bent down opposite the rail ends the remain in bent down position, especiall i and weightwithout ma-- when the rail ends are se-.

the depression is suf- Application filed November 21, 1925. Serial No. 70,520.

ficient' to destroy the elasticity of the metal.

When a train approaches a joint distorted as above-described, the first hump orelevation in the rail causes a slight uphill movementand then down hill toward the meeting ends of the rails and then uphill again and over the second hump or elevation, and this operation being repeated by each wheel in passing aggravates the abnormal condition, and r uires constant care and readjustment, an the replacin of the impaired plates, which is a source 0 relatively heavy expense. I

The plates in common use are relatively heavy, ut the weight is not properly distributed to secure the best results, and one ofthe objects of the present invention is to so construct the clamp plates as to properly distribute the material by increasing the weight and thickness Where the greatest strams occur and without materially increasing the weight as a whole.

Another object of the invention is the employment' of a support having an upwardly directed intermediate portion so arranged as to receive the impact of the wheels as theypass over the rails and operative to prevent the distortion of the balls of the rails at their confronting ends.

To this end the invention consists in the construction of plates which bear at a medial point beneath the balls of the rails at their meeting points, and not hearing at this medial o1nt upon the tie flanges, and bearing at t e terminals upon the tie flan es but not in contact with the balls or tr'e s, and likewise formed with an upwardly directed medial portion conformingto the-ball portions of the'railsat their confronting ends.

B this means a truss like construction is pro need, and the clamp bolts so located as .to supplement the arch or truss like construction and materiallyincrease the efficiency and utility thereof.

In the drawings illustrative of approved forms of the construction and in which like reference characters arecmployed for like parts in all the views, I

I Figure 1 is a side elevation i1 om the outer side.

Figure 2 is-a plan view'with one of the rails in section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse secti 44 of Figure 6.

Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5 of Figure 6.

('iFigure 6 is a side elevation from the inner s1 e.

Figure 7 is a detail of portions of the confronting ends of the rails.

The improved devices may be applied to rails of various sizes, but for the purpose of illustration are shown applied to the corn fronting ends of standard forms of rails including heads or treads 10, webs 11 and tie flanges 12.

The improved plate is formed of a body portion 13 increased in thickness inter-' mediate the ends as shown at 14 and with a laterally directed enlargement 15 arranged to bridge over the confronting ends of the rails, as shown.

Reinforcing ribs 16 are preferably formed on the outer face of the body portion 13 and merge at the ends into the body and also into the thickened portion 14 and the enlargement 15.

Near their ends the body portions '13 are on on the line formed with lateral projections 17 which bear upon the upper faces of the tie flanges 12, as shown more clearly in Figures 4 and 5.

The body portion 13 is reduced in vertical width toward the ends, as shown in Figures 1 and 6.

Recesses 18 are formed in the ball portions of the rails at one side at their confronting ends, the recesses corresponding in depth to the portion of the balls at one side of the web 11, the web portions not being reduced in any manner by the forming of the recesses. The recesses are formed in the outer portions only of the balls, and the enlarged portion of the plate 13 for the outer side of the rail is formed with a lateral enlargement 19 corresponding to the recesses and engaging in the same as shown in Figures 1 and 2. v

The confronting ends of the rails are spaced to provide for the expansion of the rails in warm weather, and the extension 19 is shorter than the recesses, for the same purpose, as shown.

The upper face of the projection 19 conforms to the upper faces of the balls 10, so that the wheels of the rolling stock will pass smoothly over the joint and without producing jars or concussions. I

By this arrangement, it will be observed, the plates bear by their thickened and reinforced medial portion against the under face of the head portions 10 of the rails, but are spaced from the tie flanges below the enlargement, as shown in Figure 3, and bear ravages at the ends by the projections 17 upon the tie flanges 12, but do not engage the balls of the rails at the terminals of the'plates, as shown in Figure 5.

The reinforcing ribs 16 are arranged reversely oblique to the longitudinal axis of the plates, and thus coact with the medial enlargement to accentuate the truss like form of the plate.

The recess engaging extension 19 coacts with the enlargement 13 to materially increase the ,efiiciency of the supporting devices.

Clamp bolts 20 extend through the plates and the webs of the rails, and firmly bind the parts together, the apertures for the bolts in the webs of the rails being elongated in the usual manner to provide for ex pansion and contraction, and materially increase the strength of the joint, and provide an effectual holding means where the greatest lateral strain occurs.

A clamp bolt 21 extends through the enlargements 14, the ends of the webs of the rails being formed with cut out portions 14 to receive the bolt. This central bolt, 21 is employed in addition to the other clamp bolts, and adds greatly to the strength of the joint besides providing effectual holding means where the greatest lateral strain occurs.

The clam bolts 20 near the ends of the plates are isposed at a lower point than the other bolts, with the centre lines of the bolts in alignment with the centre lines of the adjacent bolts and the upper ends of the enlargements 14, to complete the trussing arran-gement.

By this arrangement it willbe noted, the medial portion 19 of the outside plate is flush with the upper faces of the balls 10 of the rails at their confronting ends so that the wheels run over the joint in direct contact with the clamp plate aswell as on the rails thereby effectually preventing the deflection of the rails at the ends.

Again, with such an arrangement, the outside clamp plate is also of the full height of the rail and thus materially stiifens the rail at the point of the greatest downward stress and deflection to effectually resist any tendency to displacement.

The central portions of the clamp plates by being thicker than the outer portions, thereby provlde the necessary reinforcement at, the point where the greatest. strains occur. The plates are gradually decreased in thickness toward the ends, and are spaced a short distance from the webs 11, the spacing gradually increasing toward the ends as shown at 22 in Figure also increased slightly from the upper toward the lower edge as shownin Figures 4 and 5.

By this means when force is applied to 2. The spacing is is usually the terminal clam bolts, the medial thicker portions 18 of t e plates are forced up under the balls of the rails, and the extension 19 being flush with the upper surfaces of the balls, thus prevents sagging or depression at this point 'where support is most needed.

The balls at the ends of the. rails are caused to flow to some extent under the severe pressure and hammer blows of the heavy rolling stock and this displacement in the outer portions of the balls only as the flanges of the wheels wear away said displaced material at the inner faces of the balls. By forming the central portion of the outer; clamp plate with the extension 19 flush with the balls of the rails, and to be held rigidly in place by the upper bolt 20, the rail ends are effectually supported and prevented from flowing or rom lateral displacement.

From the'foregoing it will be gathered that the web of the rail 'is hugged by each side of the mid-portion of the clamp-plates, but a slight clearance exists between the web and each side of the terminals of said clamp plates, said graduated space or clearance sloping gradually between theinner side of the plates and web to'where the centre I thereof, said connects with the web. This is an important feature and materially adds to the utility, strength and efficiency of the invention as a whole.

What is claimed and-desired to be secured by Letters Patent is 1. A clamp plate formed with the terminal portions to bear upon the flanges of the rails and spaced from the ball and the intermediate portion bearing beneath the balls of the rails and spaced from the flanges intermediate portion having an extension flush with the upper faces of the balls. t

2. A clamp plate formed with terminal portions to bear upon the flanges of the rails and spaced from the balls thereof, said plate also spaced toward the ends from the rail webs, and the intermediate portion of said plate bearing beneath the balls of the rails and spaced from the flanges thereof, said intermediate portion having an extension flush with The upper facesof the balls.

3. A clamp plate formed with an intermediate portion .to bear beneath the ball of a rail and having an extension flush with the upper face of the ball, and terminal portions spaced from the web of the rail and arranged to bear upon the flanges of the rail.

t. A clamp plate formed with an intermediate portion of increased thickness to hear beneath the ball portions of'the rails, and having an extension flush with the upper faces of said ball portions, and tertermediate minal portions spaced from the web of the rail and arranged to bear upon the flanges of the rails.

5. A clamp plate formed with an intermediate portion to bear beneath the ball portions of aligned rails, and having an extension ball'portions, and with lateral extensions at the terminals of the plates to bear upon the flanges of the rails.

6. Clamp plates each formed with an intermediate portion to bear beneath the balls of aligned rails, one of said plates having an extensionflush with the upper faces of said balls, both of said plates having terminal portions to bear upon the flanges of the rails, and means operative to bind the plates against the webs of the rails.

7. Clamp plates each formed with an intermediate portion of increased thickness to bear beneath the ball portions of aligned rails and with terminal portions to bear upon the flanges of the rails, one of said plates having an extension flush with they upper faces of the ball portions, and means operative to bind the plates against the webs of the rails.

8. A clamp plate formed with an intermediate portion to bear beneath the balls of rails, and having an extension flush with the upper faces of the balls, and terminal portions to bear upon the flanges of the rails, and reinforcing ribs directed reverselyoblique to the longitudinal axis of the plate and operative to produce truss like supports to the plate.

9. A clamp plate formed with an intermediate portion of increased thickness to bear beneath the balls of rails, and having an extension-flush with the upper faces ofv the balls, and with terminal portions to bear upon the flanges of the rail, and reinforcing ribs directed reversely oblique tothe longitudinal axis of the plateand merging into the thickened portion thereof.

10. A clamp plate formed with an intermediate portion of increased thickness to bear beneath the balls of rails, ahd having an extension flush with the upper faces of the balls, clamp bolts operating through the terminal portions of the plates, and the webs of the rails, and clamp bolts operating through the plates and the webs of the rails flush with the upper faces of said and spaced from the terminal bolts and in alignment with the same and the ballengaging portions.

11. Clamp plates each formed with an inortion to bear beneath the balls of rails an havingan extension flush with the upper faces of the balls, and spaced from the flanges of the rails and with terminal portions to bear upon the flanges of the rails,

clamp bolts operating through the terminal portions of the plates and the webs of the rails, and clamp bolts operating through the plates and the Webs of the rails and spaced from the terminal bolts and in alignment with the same and the ball engaging portions.

12. Clamp plates each formed With an intermediate portion tobear beneath the balls of aligned rails and having an extension flush with the upper faces of the balls and spaced from the flanges ot' the same and With terminal portions to bear upon the flanges of the rails, and a clamp bolt operating through the plates and in relatively close proximity to the ball portions.

18. Clamp plates each formed With an intermediate portion to bear beneath the balls of aligned rails, and having an extension flush with the upper faces of the balls, and spaced from the flanges of the same and With terminal portions to bear upon the flanges of the rails, the confronting end of said rails having aligned recesses relatively close to the balls, and a clamp bolt operating through the plates and received in said recesses.

14. in a railway railjoint, the combination With aligned meeting rails having recesses formed in the outer portions of the balls thereof of clamping plates each formed with portions to bear beneath the balls of aligned rails, one of the said plates having an extension occupying the said recesses, the said extension-being constructed and arranged flush with the upper facesof the balls of the rails, the said plates havin middle portions spaced from the flanges o' the rails, and clamping bolts for securing the said clamping plates and rails together. In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE W. MULLER. 

